Pencil-sharpener



(No Model.)

F. A. TAYLOR.

PENCIL SHARPENER.

No. 487,873. Patented Oct. 7, 1890.

WIT. E55E5 l vEr tE|P W- iQJQyk UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRED A. TAYLOR, OF LOWVELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

PENClL-SHARPEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 437,873, dated October'7, 1890.

Application filed September 21, 1889.

is-cut in the direction of its grain and the.

lead in the direction of its length; and the objects of my improvementsare to make a machine which shall be small enough to be carried in thevest-pocket and "at the same time be durable and do its work with speed,neatness, and efficiency.

My invention consists more particularly of a holder made of spring-wire,which during the process of sharpening grips the pencil firmly enough toprevent any forward movement, holds the pencil in its proper position inrelation to the knife, and at the same time allows the pencil to rotatefreely under the hand of the operator, so that every part of thecircumference of the pencil may be in turn presented to the cuttingoperation of the knife. The wire which forms'the holder is extended intoa projecting arm, at the end of which, by suitable bendings, is formedabearing for the support and movement of the knife. The knife is soattached to the projecting arm of the holder that it is capable of threemovementsfirst, an oscillating movement forward as it forces its waythrough the Wood and lead of the pencil which is to be sharpened, andbackward to renew the stroke; second, the cutting-edge may be raised orlowered at the will of the operator to such a degree as will best favorthe true and even cutting of the pencil, and, third, if it be desirable,the whole knife may be raised or lowered through a slight distance, andeither or both of these two latter operations may take place during anypart of the stroke and without any pause in the operation. As one end ofthe wire forming the holder is extended into an arm for the support ofthe knife, so the other end of the wire is wound once loosely aroundthis projecting arm as a support and then is extended still farther toform a catch,

Serial No. 324,698- (No model.) I

which securely confines the knife when it is not in use.

By reference to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view ofthe springholder as it appears when at rest or not in use. Fig. 2 is aside view of the spring-holder as it appears. when the pencil isinserted. Fig. 3 is a side view of the spring-holder, showing theprojecting arm and bearing for the support of the knife. Fig. 4 is anend view of the spring-holder, showing the loose coil which helps tosupport and hold the projecting arm in its proper position, and also thecatch designed to confine the knife when not in use. Fig. 5 is a top orplan view of the knife, showing the twist to form the handle and thehole by means of which it is attached to the projecting arm of theholder. Fig. 6 shows the knife attached to the projecting arm of theholder in position for use. Fig. 7 shows the position of the knife whennot in use.

At A, Fig. 1, is shown the spring-holder, which is made by bending ordistorting a coilwire spring until it sets in some position other thanthat of a straight line, preferably in the shape of a crescent orsegment of a circle.

At A, Fig. 2, is shown the spring-holder as it appears when a pencil hasbeen inserted. The insertion of the pencil causes the holder toapproximately assume the straight position which was natural to itbefore it was bent or distorted, and now in its attempt to reassume itsdistorted shape it exerts a pressure upon the pencil and holds it firmlyenough to prevent any forward movement during the process of sharpening,and at the same time permits the pencil to rotate, so that each partofits circumference may be in turn presented to the cutting action of theknife.

Every part of the machine except the knife is made from one and the samepiece of springwire, and at B, Fig. 3, is shown one end of the wirewhich forms the holder bent along the side of the holder and in adirection nearly parallel to it, where it forms, by means of suitablebends at its end, a support and bearing for the attachment and movementof the knife.

At a, Fig. 3, is shown the wire of the arm bent upon itself in such away as to form a smooth and even support for the bottom of the hole inthe knife.

the knife, and at E, Fig. 3, the wire is shown bent upward to passthrough the hole in the knife, thus forming a bearing upon which theknife may oscillate, and at b, Fig. 3, the wire is shown bent downwardto form a fastening to prevent the knife from coming off the wire.

By reference to E, Fig. 6, it will be seen that the length of thebearing E is greater than the thickness of the knife F, thus permittinga slight up-and-down movement of the whole knife, and the hole f in theknife, Fig. 6, is of greater diameter than that of the bearing E, bywhich it is attached to the projecting arm of the holder, and this factpermits the cutting-edge of the knife to be raised or lowered at thewill of the operator. As has been shown, one end of the wire which formsthe spring-holder is bent and extended into a projecting arm B, Fig. 6,for the support of the knife. The other end of the wire is wound looselyonce around said projecting arm at C, Fig. 6, and is further extendedupward and inward to form a catch D, Fig. 6, and D, Fig. 7, whichsecurely confines the knife when not in use. The wire is wound aroundthe projecting arm for the purpose of supporting it and giving itadditional strength to resist the strain to which it is subjected underthe action of the knife, and it is coiled loosely,so that when thespring-holder changes from its distorted shape into anapproximately-straight line or back again, (as the pencil is insertedand withdrawn,) it (the supporting-coil) may slide along the arm and inno way restrict the elasticity of the holder A, but give it full play inevery movement.

At F, Fig. 5, is shown the knife, which is made out of one piece ofsteel, twisted near the middle, so that one part, which thus forms aconvenient handle, is at right angles to the other part which forms theblade. At the end of the blade farthest from the handle is the hole f,Fi 5, by which the knife is attached to and may oscillate upon thebearing E, Fig. 6, the diameter of which is less than that of Thismethod of construction gives a handle which is of good shape and easilymade, and which cannot get 'out of order, and the hole being placed atthe end of the knife gives the greatest possible amount of leverage inperforming the required work, and there is less liability of theparticles of lead soiling the fingers than there might be if the bearingcame at some other part of the knife.

The operation of the machine is simple. The pencil G, Fig 6, is pushedthrough the distorted coil-spring holder A, Fig. 6, until its pointprojects a little beyond the cutting-edge of the knife when the knife F,Fig. 6, is at right angles to the pencil G, Fig. 6. The insertion of thepencil straightens the distorted coil, which then in its efiort toreassume its distorted shape exerts a sufficient pressure upon thepencil to prevent any forward movement under the action of the knifeduring the process of sharpening, but at the same time permits thepencil to rotate freely under the hand of the operator. The knife, heldin the right hand of the operator, is then sent forward, cutting throughthe wood and lead at the point of the pencil, and is then brought backto renew the stroke. The pencil, held in the left hand of the operator,is then rotated so as tobring another part of its circumference underthe cutting action of the knife, and another stroke is taken, and thisoperation is re peated until the pencil has been sharpened to suit. Itis obvious that the point can be made long or short, as is desired, andthat the lead may be left round in shape, or may be sharpened on twosides only, leaving a fiat point, such as is used against a ruler bydraftsmen. When the pencil is inserted and the distorted coil-springholder A, Fig. 2, is thus made to assume a straighter shape, the loosesupporting-coil C, Fig. 6, slides along the projecting arm B a shortdistance, and thus does not in any way restrict the elasticity of thedistorted coil-spring holder, and when the pencil is taken out the loosesupporting-coil slides back again into its original position.

An essential feature of the machine, and hence of the operation, is theloose joint at E and f, Fig. 6, (where the knife is attached to the projecting arm of the holder,) which permits three different movements tothe knife. The bearing E, Fig. 6, passed through the round hole f, Fig.6, in the knife permits the knife to oscillate freely forward andbackward over that part of the pencil which is to less than the lengthof the bearing E, to which it is attached, allows a slight upward anddownward movement of the whole knife, if desirable, and the diameter ofthe hole f, Fig. 6, in the knife being greater than that of the bearingE permits the cutting-edge of the knife to be raised or lowered at thewill of the operator, who may thus decide at what angle the knife shallenter the wood, and may change that angle during any part of the stroke.Thus it is obvious that the operation of sharpening may be completed bya few heavy strokes, taking thick shavings, or may be conducted with theutmost delicacy by taking light strokes and thin shavings, and withoutthe slightest danger of breaking the lead.

I believe it to be broadly new in pencilsharpening devices to hold thepencil in its position during the process of sharpening by means of thepressure exerted by a distorted coil-spring in its endeavor to assumethe position which it holds when at rest, and also broadly new to attachthe knife by a loose joint, so that the operator is at liberty to decideat what angle the knife shall enter the wood and is also at liberty tochange that angle during any part of the stroke, so that a light orheavy shaving may be taken at will and the danger of breaking the leadis reduced to a minimum.

I am aware that pencil-sharpeners have IOC be cut, and the thickness ofthe knife being f been made which cut the wood in the direction of itsgrain; but in no one of them, I believe, is the knife loosely attached,so that its cutting-edge can be raised or lowered without anycorresponding movement on the part of the holder, while at the same timethe stroke of the knife is also made independently of any movement ofthe holder. This loose joint gives a freedom and at the same time adelicacy to the stroke of the blade such as have never before beenattained in a pencil-sharpener.

The machine is simple, durable, cheap, and remarkably efficient. Thoughsmall and compact, it is so strong that the end of the pencil may be cutclear off at one stroke, or through the adaptability of the blade bymeans of the loose joint where it is attached to the arm of the holder,the operator can go to the other extreme and take a shaving so light asscarcely to remove the paint.

It is obvious that the holder, or that part of the machine which holdsthe pencil in posi tion and allows it to revolve during the process ofsharpening, might be constructed in various other ways-as, for instance,one cylinder gripping the pencil to prevent its forward movement andrevolving in another cylinder; but the distorted coil-spring holder issimple, cheap, and effectual, and is preferred by me to any other methodof holding the pencil.

In the construction of the knife I am aware that the hole for theattachment to the arm of the holder might be made in some other part ofits length, as in the middle, and the knife attached to the holder atthat point, the form of the holder being somewhat modified; but neitherthe action nor the result is so good and there is greater difficulty insecuring compactness and in protecting the edge of the knife when not inuse, and I preferin the construction of the machine to attach the knifeto the projecting arm of the holder, as shown.

\Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a pencil-sharpening machine, a distorted coil-spring holder,substantially as described.

2. The combination of a coil-spring holder and a projecting arm, at theend of which is a suitable bearing for the support and attachment of theknife, all substantially as described.

3. The combination of a distorted coilspring holder, a projecting arm,and a support ing-coil, as 0, all substantially as described.

4:. The combination of a distorted coilspring holder, a projecting arm,a supportingcoil, anda catch, as D, allsubstantially as described.

5. In apencil-sharpening machine, the combination, with a coil-springholder and a projecting arm, of a knife so attached that the angle atwhich its cutting-edge moves through the wood of the pencil can be madegreater or less at any partof the stroke, all substantially as shown anddescribed.

6. In a pencil-sharpening machine, the combination, With a coil-springholder, of a projecting arm, a supporting-coil, acatch, and a knife, allsubstantially as shown and described.

FRED A. TAYLOR.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL B. WYMAN, EBEN W. TALLANT.

